Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, filed a bill Thursday seeking to require a half-credit of financial literacy to graduate from Florida's high schools. (SB 392) She's been trying to get this legislation passed since 2014.

If adopted, her bill would require ninth graders entering high school in 2017-18 or later to take a half-credit course in personal financial literacy and money management. Their elective requirements would be reduced to 7.5 credits.

The preamble to the bill explains, in part, the rationale: "The Legislature also finds that requiring educational instruction in financial literacy and money management as a prerequisite to high school graduation will better prepare young people in this state for adulthood by providing them with the requisite knowledge to achieve financial stability and independence."

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.